Improved clothes-fastener



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVED CLOTH ES-FASTENER.

Speciticatwn forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,838, dated March 8, 1864.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PINCKNEY FRosT, of Springfield, in the State of Vermont, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-Fastener and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and letters ot' reference marked thereon, forming a part of this my specication, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved clothesfastener, showing the same applied to use; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical s ction showing the fastener in the act of being applied 5 and Fig. 3 a like sectional view, showing the device after being applied to a clothes-line for the purpose of retaining the clothes thereon.

In the drawings, A indicates-a solid foundation block, ofwood, which, with other parts to be hereinafter described, constitutes my improved clothesfastener. This block is transversely of its length c ut away, so as to give an outline on its under side in the form as indicated on the line xx 002903 x4, and which cut-out portion forms an opening transversely through the block, into which the clothes l upon the line l are rmly held, as indicated in Fig. 3,and in which the articulations of the spring thumb-lever j' in part take place, as clearly represented in Figs. 2 and 3.' By this transverse opening it will be seen that a recess, as at e, is formed through the block, within which the clothes are clasped when the thumblever f is pressed against the point g of the block A, as shown in Fig. 3.

As represented at h in Figs. 2 and 3, the in terior of the block A is mortised so as to form a protecting chamber to a coil-spring, i, a seat for one end of which is properly provided by the formation ofthe chamber h at the points It h2, while the 4opposite end of the spring is let into the thumb-lever f, as seen in Fig. 3.

Thus the rear and loose end of the springt' will permanently retain its seat within the chamber h, whethenit be compressed, asindica-ted in Fig. 2, or uncompressed, as in Fig. 3, and as the upper end, f', of the thumblever f is pivoted, as at k, within the chamber h, it will be seen, by reference to Fig. 3, that the springt' at all times occupies a chamber which is practically closed against the weather, since, from the position of the clothes-fastener when placed upon the line l, as in Fig. 3, the only access to the chamber h will be from the under side, and hence the cham'ber will at all times be free from rain, ice, and snow, andthe spring securely protected at all times from in- `]ury.

By my invention it will be perceived that the spring t' acts upon the part f withaleverpressure; that it is so situated and protected from the weather that there is no liability to stain the clothes l by corrosion of the metal, as is the case where the spring is above the clothes that the clothes are not liable to be thrown out of the fastener by the action of the wind, as the point g acts as an under-bearing to sustain the weight of the clothes; that the clothes-fastener cannot become clogged by the formation ofice and snow around the spring,

and that the leverf is so applied within the block A that it will not by the wrenching and twisting action of the clothes be loosened and destroyed at its point of articulation 7c.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

A clothesfastener constructed and operating substantially'in the manner and for the,

purpose set forth.

PINCKNEY FROST.

Witnesses:

HENRY BARNARD, MARY BARNARD." 

